The Ranger's Gift
by WriterAtHeart2
Summary: When Halt and the others seem to be excluding Will out of something, Will is desperate to find out.
1. Chapter 1

**As this is my first FanFiction, could you please please please please review? It would mean a lot to me if you did. Thanks!**

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Will slowly rode through the forest on Tug, concealed by his dark Ranger's cloak. Beneath his cloak, one hand clutched tightly on a small wooden box. This box had been given to him by Halt. As Halt had instructed him to do, Will was headed toward the Castle of Redmont to give this box to Sir Rodney.

"Take this box directly to Redmont and give it to Sir Rodney," Halt had said. "And do not open it. Any questions?"

That was it. Halt hadn't included anything else. Will felt the strong urge to open the box and take a look at the contents inside. But, as Halt had instructed, Will was not to open it. Will urged Tug to alter into a canter, and immediately Tug quickened his pace. It was almost dusk, Will noted. He had to ride quickly to Redmont before it was dark.

In the distance, Will heard a familiar howl. It sounded like a Kalkara.

_No,_ Will told himself. _The Kalkara are dead! It's probably just a coyote._

Even so, Will shakily reached for his bow. He tightened his grip on Tug's reins. Tug, sensing his master's fear, calmly neighed and nuzzled his snout against Will's arms.

Tug seemed to be saying, _No fear, Will. With a Ranger horse like me around, you're safe._

Will smiled dryly. "Good boy," he said. "We're almost there." And indeed they were.

After five more minutes, the forest came to a clearing. The Castle of Redmont towered charmingly over the villages below. Up above, the full moon shone brightly in the clear night sky, its reflection appearing on the lake. But Will had no time to admire this beautiful night scene. He had to quickly give this box to Sir Rodney in the Battleschool, and perhaps even stay the night at Redmont.

After he had persuaded Tug to stay with the Battleschool horses, Will entered the Battleschool, and the first thing he saw were some of the older Battleschool apprentices still training late into the night. He spotted one apprentice that didn't look as mean as Jerome, Alda, or Bryn.

"Excuse me," Will said.

The apprentice turned around and put down his sword. He wiped the sweat off his face.

"Wait, you're that Ranger that killed the boar! You're Will, right?" he said.

Will nodded. "I'm looking for Sir Rodney's office. Do you know where I could find that?"

The apprentice nodded. "It's the room at the very end of that hall," he said, gesturing towards Sir Rodney's office.

"Thanks," Will said gratefully.

The apprentice nodded briefly and returned back to his training. Will started toward Sir Rodney's office at the end of the hall. Without hesitation, Will knocked quietly on the door.


	2. Chapter 2

Will could hear hurried footsteps behind the door. Then the door opened slightly and the weary face of Sir Rodney appeared.

"Oh, hello, Will. Good to see you again. Please come in." he said.

Will entered Sir Rodney's office.

"Now, what brings you here?" Sir Rodney questioned.

Will pulled out the small box. "It's from Halt, sir," he said.

Sir Rodney took the box and placed it on his desk. He lifted the lid, and, surprisingly, it opened easily. Inside, Will noticed, was a folded sheet of paper. Sir Rodney pulled the paper out and unfolded it. He quickly examined the note, turned the paper over, and scribbled something on the back. Then he refolded it and put it back in the box.

"Thank you," Sir Rodney said merrily. He was in a much cheerful mood than when Will had first arrived. "Take this box back to Halt. I will see you soon, I expect."

Will took the box, bewildered by the fact that there had only been a letter. "There…there wasn't anything else, sir?" Will asked.

"No." Sir Rodney replied simply.

"Oh—okay then," Will said, a bit disappointed. "Goodbye, sir."

"Goodbye, Will. I'll see you soon!" Sir Rodney said with a wink.

Will left the office with the box in his hand. He was extremely confused. What did Sir Rodney mean by 'I'll see you soon'? And what was written on that paper? Will was still troubled by his thoughts by the time he had reached the Battleschool horses' stable.

"Hey, Tug, you ready to home?" Will said.

Tug, unlike most of the Battleschool horses, was wide awake. He enthusiastically neighed. Will smiled. Then he hopped onto Tug's back, and the two of them galloped away into the forest.

By the time Will had returned to Halt's cottage, it was long after midnight. Will hastily knocked on the door, and Halt's annoyed face peeked out.

"What took you so long?" he said, ushering Will in.

"Sorry," Will said. "This is from Sir Rodney. He wrote something on the back of your letter." Will handed Halt the box.

"You didn't—er—you didn't see the note, did you?" Halt said, putting the box on the table. He sounded unusually anxious.

"No," Will said quickly, staring at Halt.

Halt's face relaxed. "Oh—good. Now, go to sleep. It's past midnight."

Will obeyed, still mystified by the day's events. First Sir Rodney had said something about seeing him later, and now Halt was acting nervous. What this normal? He'd have to think about this tomorrow. His eyelids felt heavy, his back was aching from riding Tug, his feet were sore…

Lying in bed, Will couldn't stop getting the feeling that there was something Sir Rodney and Halt were planning—and they were excluding him out of it. It was an unusual feeling. After all, Will _was _Halt's apprentice. Why shouldn't he get know what they were doing? And yet Will had this strange feeling that it would be better not to know. It was all so confusing. Before long, Will had fallen asleep.

The next morning, Will awoke to the nearby sounds of someone muttering uncontrollably. He sat up and discovered that it was, to Will's surprise, Halt. Halt was sitting on the floor mat, his back to him. The box was placed in front of him, and Halt was muttering something under his breath. Then he shook his head, muttered again, and then shook his head once more. Will didn't want to interrupt Halt, in case he was doing something important. But before Will could lie down to pretend that he was still asleep, Halt turned around.

"Oh, you're awake. There are eggs in the kitchen, Will. Don't interrupt me, all right? I'm in the middle of something important." he said, and then started muttering again.

"Uh…okay. I'll be…I'll be in the field practicing after breakfast, if you need me." Will said.

Halt nodded. "Of course."

Will yawned and sat up, and got out of bed. But before he could start toward the kitchen, there was a knock on the door.


	3. Chapter 3

Will started toward the door, but Halt stopped him.

"I'll get it, Will." Halt opened the door, and standing outside, were…Alyss, Horace, George, and Jenny.

When Alyss saw Will, she smiled and waved; Jenny giggled joyfully; Horace chuckled and gave Will a thumbs-up; and George cheerfully grinned.

"How're you doing, Will?" Horace said, patting Will on the back.

Will, however, just stared from Alyss to Halt to George to Horace, and finally to Jenny.

Finally, he was aware that Alyss and the others were staring confusedly at Will, so he waved at his friends, slightly embarrassed. Alyss laughed. She was used to Will being tongue-tied around her. She opened her mouth to say something, but Halt cleared his throat loudly.

"Yes—I'm sure whatever you have to say is wonderful, but we have work to do. Come on, I have something very important to discuss. Will, don't interrupt us." he said.

Will nodded, and then went to the kitchen, look forward to a nice breakfast.

He sat at the table, staring at his scrambled eggs. He could hear the voices of Halt and his friends nearby. It sounded as though they were arguing, but Will wasn't quite sure. He knew it wasn't good to eavesdrop. But Halt and the others were making him feel left out. He desperately wanted to know what they were doing.

In fact, Will was _angry _at them. Gloomily, Will stuffed the rest of the eggs in his mouth and cleaned his plate. Then he stepped out the back door.

The fresh air felt relaxing against his face. Will started towards Tug's stable, his cloak wrapped tightly over him. When Will reached the stable, he saddled Tug and hopped on his longtime friend. Tug and he had been friends for quite some time.

"Hey, boy. You want an apple, Tug?" Will said.

Tug nodded eagerly in agreement. Will tossed him an apple, and Tug happily crunched away. While Tug was eating, Will looked around, expecting to see a bird or a rabbit hop out of the forest nearby.

_That,_ Will concluded, _would be good, because then I could practice my sensing skills. Halt would like that. _But at the thought of Halt, Will angrily swatted away the idea of practicing.

Just then, Tug nudged Will gently. Tug neighed softly, indicating that it was time for a ride.

"Oh—sorry, boy." Will said, annoyed at himself. _Rangers don't get carried away, _he thought angrily to himself. _Rangers stay on task. _

He cleared his throat."Okay_, _are you ready for a ride through the field?" Will said, grinning at Tug. "Or would you much rather rest?" Tug snorted playfully.

"What's that? Did you say you wanted to rest?" Will grinned even more broadly.

Tug, without notice, started galloping at full speed. He went so fast that Will had to clutch his cloak or it would fly off.

When Will cried, "_Whoa, boy! Slow down_!"—Tug only went faster.

At last, after a few minutes of running like mad, Tug slowed, and finally stopped. Will was completely out of breath.

He managed to stutter, "I—I—I think I know—" (Will stopped to take a breath) "—which one—you want—now…"

Tug neighed happily. He wasn't one bit tired; he was a Ranger horse, after all. But he was glad his master had gotten the point. Will took a large breath and smiled.

"I know what you wanted, Tug. I think you wanted to take a rest all along. Isn't that what you wanted, boy?"


	4. Chapter 4

**I've gotten some reviews asking how long Will has been an apprentice in this story. This is Will's first year as an apprentice. Enjoy! (And review, of course)**

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After Will had given Tug another apple and ridden him a few more times, he returned to Halt's home. When he arrived, he was surprised to see Alyss and the others still here.

"They're staying for lunch, dinner, and they'll also be staying the night," Halt explained. He looked very relieved compared to what he had looked like earlier.

Will nodded. He looked at Alyss at the other end of the room. She and George, Horace, and Jenny seemed to be enjoying themselves. Then, she looked at him. She smiled and gestured for Will to join them. Will shook his head. He didn't want to talk to Alyss _now_. Alyss frowned. Then she walked over to Will, her hands on her hips.

"Will, what's wrong? Come on, we haven't talked since _forever._" she said.

"Not now. I've got Ranger work to do," Will said, emphasizing on "_Ranger". _

Alyss stared at Will. "Come with me," she said, grabbing Will's hand.

"I can't—" Will started, but Alyss cut him off.

"_Come with me," _she said, and finally managed to drag Will across the room.

As they passed Horace, Jenny, and George laughing and talking at the table, Horace looked up.

"Hey, Will. Good to see you again, Ranger." he said, smiling at Will.

Will grinned. "Good to see you, too. So—I was wondering —do you know what Halt is planning? With that box and everything? He wouldn't tell me so I hoped you guys would." Will looked hopefully at each of his friends.

Alyss opened her mouth, perhaps to say "_Come on_," but Horace interrupted. "I'm sorry, Will, but Halt told us not to tell you. It's a secret. You'll know soon enough, though."

Will nodded, to show that he understood. But deep inside, he was furious. Why wasn't _anyone _telling him what was going on?

Alyss finally dragged Will away from the table, and out the back door. They stopped at the edge of the forest. Will looked up into the sky. It was already starting to get dark.

"Why are we talking _here?" _Will said, slightly uncomfortable.

Alyss sighed. "Obviously because no one will hear us." she replied.

Will nodded. _Obviously, _he thought to himself. "So…um, what did you want to tell me?" he incredulously.

Alyss sighed and sat on the stone wall that was surrounding the edge of the forest. She hugged her knees. Will, feeling it was polite to match gesture, sat on the stone wall also and hugged his knees. Alyss stared at Will like he was crazy. Will felt very uncomfortable. _This is awkward, _he thought. Finally Alyss spoke.

"Right—well, Halt told me not to tell you this, but—" she stopped.

"What is it?"

"It's nothing. So…what was I saying? Oh, yes, so Halt made it loud and clear that I shouldn't tell you this, but seeing you so miserable makes me uncomfortable." she said.

Will's spirits lightened up. _At least someone notices, _he thought. He nodded, indicating for Alyss to continue. He was eager to know what she was going to say. Was she possibly about to tell him what Halt was planning? I almost seemed too good to be true.

Alyss continued, "Don't tell Halt I told you this—he's going to go bonkers—but, Will…what he's been planning all along, what you've been wanting to know…" she started, but before she could finish, Halt walked out the back door.

"Alyss, Will, lunch is ready." he said, but his smile faded. "Were you two talking? Oh, sorry. Didn't mean to interrupt." He paused for a moment, and then his eyes narrowed like a hawk's. "You didn't—Alyss, did you—did you tell Will about…" he faltered.

Alyss shook her head in guilt. "I was about to…" she started. She was growing red.

"I told you not to!" Halt hissed.

"I had to, it was so uncomfortable seeing Will so miserable, I couldn't stand it any longer!" she cried.

Though Halt's face was burning with anger, he spoke in a calmer voice. "It's fine, Alyss. At least you didn't _actually _tell Will. Now come on, you two. Time for lunch. Chop, chop." Then he walked back into his house, shaking his head all the way.

Will glared at Halt's back. Did he _have_ to interrupt, and not just any time, _now? _"Just my luck," Will grumbled.

Alyss looked apologetically at Will. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I tried." Then she hopped off the stone wall and headed toward Halt's home.

Will stayed on the wall after Alyss had fully disappeared. He was thinking—thinking about how much Alyss had risked telling Will about what Halt had been planning. "What a brave girl," he said. Then he, too, hopped off the stone wall.

At lunch, Will was abnormally quiet. That was because in his mind, he was forming a plan. Tonight, after everyone was asleep, he would sneak into Halt's office and open the box. It was the best way to find out what Halt was planning. The only problem was getting into Halt's office unnoticed. Will hoped that none of his friends were going to sleep in the office.

But he couldn't wait any longer to find out what Halt was planning. He just had to know tonight.

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**Original paragraph:**

_**At lunch, Will was abnormally quiet. That was because in his mind, he was forming a plan. Tonight, after everyone was asleep, he would sneak into Halt's office and open the box. It was the best way to find out what Halt was planning. The only problem was getting into Halt's office unnoticed. Will hoped that Halt hadn't installed a security camera in there. And he hoped that none of his friends were going to sleep in the office.**_

**Revised paragraph: **

_**At lunch, Will was abnormally quiet. That was because in his mind, he was forming a plan. Tonight, after everyone was asleep, he would sneak into Halt's office and open the box. It was the best way to find out what Halt was planning. The only problem was getting into Halt's office unnoticed. Will hoped that none of his friends were going to sleep in the office.**_

**Since I got so many reviews telling me that there were not any security cameras back then, I decided to delete that part. So, there you are. Thanks for noticing. :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Thanks for all the awesome reviews! I really appreciate it! Enjoy! :)**

**To: ariel (anonymous reviewer) I am a girl. **

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It was long after everyone had gone to bed. To Will's delight, Horace had told him that nobody was going to sleep in Halt's office. Will, who was hiding behind the couch, was waiting for the best moment to sneak into the office. He glanced at the clock. Only five minutes until midnight.

"They must be asleep by now," he said to himself.

He looked around, checking to make sure that his path was clear.

_Okay, _he told himself. _Go…now. _

He leapt up from his hiding spot and made a dash for Halt's office, which was right across from this room. Will reached for the doorknob…

It was locked. _Of course! _Will smacked himself on the forehead. _Obviously, _he thought. _Halt wouldn't just leave the door unlocked, it would be too easy to sneak in! He knew what I was planning!_

Will looked bitterly at the doorknob. Thoughts raced in his mind. The first to step over the finish line was _I'm doomed. _The next was _Find the key, dummy! _Will looked hopelessly over his shoulder.

"C'mon, think…where would Halt put the keys?" he said irritably.

This was harder than he had thought. He looked around frantically. The floor was spotless. He checked the walls. Not a key in sight. Will considered blasting the door open, but that would get Halt furious.

"C'mon, where's the key?" Will said, very frustrated.

Then a thought occurred to him. There was a good chance that Halt had the key. So why didn't he just sneak up to Halt and take it?

_But what if he doesn't have the key? _Will thought. _Then I'd have wasted my time! Plus, I bet Halt would've woken up. _

There was a debate going on in Will's head. Finally, he settled on his decision: he would have to steal the keys from Halt. _If he even has them, _Will thought.

Will checked the room once more, and then quietly darted across to the next room. He looked around, searching for Halt.

The first thing he saw was Horace. He was gently snoring, his stomach to the ground, and right in front of the doorway. If Will hadn't looked down, he would've stepped right onto poor Horace.

The next person Will saw was Alyss. She, Will noticed, had a much more comfortable sleeping spot. She was lying on a hastily prepared "bed", which was constructed with a straw mat, several blankets, and a feathered pillow. She was sleeping soundlessly. A few feet away, Will saw George and Jenny. Both of them had been given separate straw mats to sleep on and some blankets.

Together, his friends seemed rather squished in this room.

Will looked around one more time. He saw all his friends, but where was Halt? His eyes darted nervously to every corner. And then he spotted him.

Halt was sleeping in the corner, his green and grey cloak wrapped tightly around him. He seemed to disappear right into the walls. Will quietly tiptoed to Halt, and then gazed down at the Ranger. Halt did not appear to be holding anything; but Will quickly realized that the keys must be hidden inside Halt's cloak.

Will paused. How was he going to do this? Halt would surely wake up. But there was no time to be second-guessing. Will gently reached inside Halt's cloak, trying to be as quick as possible. He groped around, trying to feel the key somewhere in the folds of the cloak. At last his fingers touched something metal, but not hard enough to be one of Halt's Ranger knives. Will knew that this must be the key.

He pulled gently, and the key slipped right out. Will turned the key over in his palm. Sure enough, carved on one side, was the word _Office. _

Will's insides squirmed with pride. He had done it. Now all he had to do was unlock the office door, and then open the box to read the note. It had been all too easy.

Beaming with pride, Will walked silently back to the locked office door. He put the key into the slot, turned it, and with a _click, _the door opened.

Will walked in and shut the door behind him. He looked around. There was not much in Halt's office. A round table was in the center of the room, and the box on it. Will immediately reached for the box and lifted the lid.

When he opened it, Will saw that the back side of the letter Halt had written was facing up. Will read the one simple word that Sir Rodney had written in reply: _Yes. _That was it. Will turned the paper over eagerly. "So Halt must've asked Sir Rodney a question," Will said excitedly, and a little too loudly.

There were footsteps behind him. And then, the door opened, and Halt stepped in. He had an expression of rage on his face.

"_What are you doing?"_ he said angrily.

"I was…I was just…I wanted to read the letter," Will admitted, ashamed and embarrassed.

Halt glared at his apprentice. "Didn't your friends tell you that you'd find out _soon enough?" _he snarled.

"Yes," Will admitted quietly.

Halt shook his head in exasperation. "Apprentices. Too curious for their own good." he muttered.

Will stared at the ground.

"Did you read the note?" Halt asked.

"No." Will replied, not looking up. "I only read Sir Rodney's reply. That's all."

Halt merely nodded. "Go to sleep. You have a big day tomorrow." he said. "And _never _enter my office without permission. Understand?"

Halt took the key, still hanging from the doorknob.

"Yes, Halt." Will answered. He walked bitterly to the living room couch.

"No, you can sleep where I was sleeping. I'll sleep here for the rest of the night," Halt said.

Will, having no more energy to be puzzled, obeyed and stepped into the room where his friends were sleeping.

"Good night, Halt." Will called.

Halt gave a grunt in reply.


	6. Chapter 6

**Read and review! Hey...let's make a deal: if you review this chapter, I'll review _two _of your stories! Deal? :) ENJOY!**

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Will awoke the next morning, and, sensing that something was _different, _he looked around.

Indeed, something was _different, _but to be more precise, something was _missing. _Lots of somethings were missing, in fact.

Not one of his friends was left in the room. Even their sleeping areas had been cleared, so Will felt completely deserted. There was no one left in the room except for him and his green-and-gray cloak.

He began to grow nervous. Where were his friends? Will decided to notify Halt, but when the apprentice reached the living room, Halt wasn't sleeping on the couch. Will decided that his mentor must have gotten up early to prepare coffee, so Will checked the kitchen. He glanced around tiredly. There was no sign of Halt or his friends. Where was everyone?

Then, Will got an idea. Maybe his friends had gone outside to get some fresh air, and they had left Will behind. Yawning, Will hurried outside, hoping he would see his friends sitting on the grass, laughing and talking. No such luck. There was no movement outside except the morning birds singing their morning songs. The sky was a dull gray and the clouds didn't seem so white all of the sudden.

Feeling weary and alone, Will checked Tug's stable. There was still no sign of Halt or his friends. Sighing heavily, Will fed Tug an apple.

"Tug, where is everybody?" Will asked. The young Ranger suddenly felt very lonely.

Will didn't actually expect Tug to respond, so it was a surprise when Tug used his snout to point to the apples. At first, Will thought Tug was asking for a second apple, so Will shook his head.

But then Tug pointed his snout again, this time at Halt's house. Then he pointed his snout again at the barrel of apples, and then pointed it back to Halt's house.

Will was confused. What was Tug trying to tell him? He thought and thought. _Apples. Halt's house. Apples. Halt's house. Apples…and Halt's house…Apples…in Halt's house! The kitchen! _Will smacked his forehead. _Duh. _But why did he have to go to the kitchen? He'd already checked there, hadn't he?

"Tug…if you're saying I should check the kitchen…" Will started. Tug bobbed his head, almost a nodding gesture.

"Well, you see, I already checked there." Will explained to Tug.

Tug snorted indecorously. He seemed to say, _Just do it. And check carefully this time. Don't just glance around. Use the Ranger skills Halt taught you._

Will looked at Tug doubtfully. What did he know about this? But, seeing that he was getting nowhere anyway, Will followed Tug's suggestion. He walked back to the kitchen, this time peering into the cabinets, inside shelves, behind the counter…and then he found it.

There was a little note card, folded, and quite well hidden inside one of the cabinets. He guessed that it wasn't Halt's, because if it was, his mentor wouldn't just leave it in a random cabinet.

So Will unfolded the paper, and read what it said: _Look behind you once you finish reading this. _

Will turned around, and behind him, with grins on their faces, were Horace, Jenny, George, Alyss, and Halt. Well, Halt had more of a_ forced_ grin on.

"_Surprise!" _they shouted, throwing hand-made confetti over Will.

Will grinned at his friends, even though he had no idea what was going on.

"That was _very _surprising!" Will said enthusiastically. "But…what's going on?" he puzzled.

There was an awkward silence where his friends looked at each other in disbelief.

"What?" Will asked. "What is it?"

It was Halt who spoke first.

"You don't know?" he mused, raising an eyebrow.

"Will…" Jenny started, but she hesitated.

"_What?" _Will said, thoroughly annoyed. "Tell me already!"

Horace looked at Will with concern. "Will…it's…it's…"

His friends stared awkwardly at each other. Finally Halt gave a small nod, as if agreeing on something.

"It's your birthday." he said finally.

"What's more astounding," Alyss added, "is that you didn't even remember."

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**Remember the deal? Just click that magical review button...**


	7. Chapter 7

**Please read and review this chapter! You'll get a review from me in return! ENJOY :)**

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Will's friends, including Halt, looked at the young Ranger expectantly.

Will didn't know what to say. "My…birthday?" he said at last.

Halt stepped forward.

"_Yes_, your birthday." he said, looking very annoyed. Halt didn't understand why Will was making a big fuss about it. After all, it was his birthday. There was not much more to say. Birthday. Today. That was all. It wasn't a hard concept.

Halt waved his hand in front of Will's stunned face. "Hello? Earth to Will." Halt said.

Will didn't react to Halt's gesture. The young Ranger's eyes had a misty look and his body seemed frozen to the spot.

What Will didn't understand was how Halt had known his birthday was today. Will hadn't known his birthday all through his fifteen years of life. How did Halt know? Will decided to discuss this with Halt later.

Will put on a big grin. "Right—let's get this party started, shall we?" he said, almost too cheerfully to be normal.

His friends and Halt looked at him oddly. Finally, Halt cleared his throat loudly.

"Yes, let's get to the party. Jenny…would you mind getting the food and coffee? George, could you get the decorations?" Halt said.

George and Jenny nodded. Then they walked out of the kitchen.

Halt gestured for Alyss, Horace, and Will to follow him to the table.

The three friends sat down, facing Halt. Will eagerly started the conversation.

"Halt?" Will asked the grim-faced Ranger.

"Mmm?" was the reply.

"How did you—" Will started, but Halt finished the question.

"—know it was your birthday? Long story." Halt finished.

Will looked keenly at Halt.

"Tell me the story," Will said. He was ready to know the details.

Halt sighed. "Another day, Will." the Ranger sighed. "Ah…here comes the coffee. Thank you, Jenny."

Halt sipped the cup of coffee slowly. He could tell that Will was disappointed.

Halt watched George as he put up a banner that said, "_Happy Birthday, Will!" _Then Halt sneaked a look at Will. The apprentice was smiling admirably at the banner.

Then Alyss got up from the table. "I'll help George with the other decorations." she said to Halt. Halt nodded in agreement.

Halt, Horace, and Will watched Alyss as she helped George stick the banner on the wall with a sticky substance.

Will looked closer. It was syrup that they were using. Halt noticed Will.

"Pretty clever, wouldn't you say? Horace suggested it. It actually works pretty well." he said.

Will nodded.

Halt looked at Will's untouched plate of cookies. "If you're not going to eat those cookies, I will." Halt said.

Will grinned. "Nope, I'll eat them, thank you very much." He stuffed the cookies in his mouth, crumbs falling onto the table.

Halt smiled. He took a cookie for himself and started munching thoughtfully.

Then, there was a knock at the door.

Halt, already knowing who was behind the door, rushed to open it. Sure enough, it was Gilan, Baron Arald, Crowley, Lady Pauline, and Sir Rodney.

Halt smiled. "Good morning, everyone…where's Nigel?" he asked Crowley.

Crowley replied, "He couldn't come. Got some sort of meeting or something like that. Anyway, we've got the…" he started, but Crowley spotted Will standing nearby. "We've got the you-know-what." Crowley finished.

Halt nodded. "There are cookies and coffee in the kitchen; you can help yourself; and Alyss and the others are also in there." Halt explained.

The craftmasters and the Baron nodded. Then they walked to the kitchen, talking and laughing cheerfully together.

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**Now that you've read the chapter, you know what to do...**


	8. Chapter 8

**WARNING: The secrets you've all been waiting for are revealed in this chapter...read on, but beware...if you read this chapter, you must...REVIEW! Mwah-ha-ha-ha...ha...yeah. Just read and review. :)**

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W_e've got the you-know-what. _The words echoed in Will's ears. _Now _what was Halt hiding from him?

He frowned as Halt and the others went into the kitchen. Will had no choice but to follow.

"Why the sad looks, Will?" Gilan said cheerfully, accepting a cup of coffee from Halt. "It's your birthday! If I were you, I'd be acting hyper and I'd drink all the coffee." He winked. "It is your birthday, after all. Enjoy yourself!" Gilan turned around and started chatting with Crowley.

Will sulked. The young Ranger didn't feel like acting hyper right now. He wanted to know about the _you-know-what. _It always bothered him when he didn't know something and pretty much everyone else did.

Crowley spotted Will and patted the apprentice on the back. "Cheer up, Will. It's your birthday! Here, have some coffee." Crowley offered Will a cup of coffee.

Will forced a dry smile. "Thanks, Crowley." Crowley patted Will on the back again. "No problem," he said with a grin. Then he turned around to return to the conversation with Gilan.

Will sighed. He decided that there was only one thing to do: and that was wait. Wait until…well, until Crowley or somebody else revealed what the _you-know-what _was.

_Who knows when that's going to be, _Will sighed. _Or maybe they'll never reveal it to me. _

He took a cookie and munched on it bitterly. He imagined that each bite was a person he was annoyed at: Halt. _Crunch. _Crowley. _Crunch. _Gilan. _Crunch. _Sir Rodney. _Crun_—

Then, Will heard a voice over all the chatting. It was Crowley's voice:

"It's time, it's time! C'mon everybody, it's time for Will to open his presents! Over here, over here…"

Will didn't know what to feel. He was half shocked that he had gotten a present, and also half delighted.

_I wonder what it is, _he thought excitedly._ Maybe it's a new flavor of coffee, or maybe it's a new bow set, or maybe it's…_

Will was thrilled. He felt much better now. He pushed to the front of the guests where Crowley was standing with a box in his hands.

Will's jaw dropped. A thought had just occurred to him. This box was the box that contained the _you-know-what. _Will was sure of it. Now he was even more eager to know what it was.

Apparently all the guests were eager to see Will open the gift.

"C'mon, Will, open it!"

"Open it! Open it! Open it!" (That was Gilan, bouncing up and down excitedly.)

"I'm getting impatient! Open it already; I want to get to the cake!" (That was Halt.)

Will grinned. He all of the sudden forgot about being sulky.

"Can I open it, Crowley?" Will asked eagerly.

Crowley grinned. "Of course!"

Will tore off the wrapping paper and inside was a cardboard box. Will opened the box and inside was…_A cloak._

The cloak was snow white and it seemed to glow.

"It's a cloak," he said shortly.

Halt frowned. "Not a _cloak, _Will. You have no idea what Crowley went through to get this."

"It's a one of a kind," Crowley boasted.

Will frowned. "If it isn't a cloak, then what is it? A blanket?" he asked to no one in particular.

Halt sighed. Sometimes Will couldn't appreciate the good things in life.

Halt started, "It _is _a cloak—" but Will cut in. "Aha! So it _is _a cloak," Will said, punching the air in victory.

The grizzled Ranger raised one eyebrow. "Do you want to know what it is or not?" he questioned.

Will shrunk back. "Sorry. Go on," he said quietly.

"As I was saying before I was _rudely _interrupted," Halt continued in an annoyed sort of way. "This gift _is _a cloak—" Halt paused, and then continued: "An outdoor garment, typically sleeveless, that hangs from the shoulders…"

Gilan groaned. "Come on, Halt, we don't want to hear the dumb definition of a cloak!" he protested.

Halt frowned. "For your information, I was only giving background information so you—"

"Halt, continue explaining, if you would mind," Crowley said in an irritated voice (though he had a grin on his face).

"Fine—if you insist." Halt answered. "Absolutely, this gift to Will is a cloak, but it isn't _just _a cloak. It is very special kind of cloak. Crowley, would you like to explain?"

Crowley nodded. "Sure. So, Will, you heard what Halt said. This is a cloak, but a very special one indeed. Once you put this cloak on, you will become invisible." Crowley said knowingly.

Will gaped. "Invisible?" he said incredulously.

Crowley nodded. "Yep, you heard me right. _Invisible. _Go on, try it on." He grinned.

Will gingerly reached for the white cloak and weighed it in his hands. It felt surprisingly like silk.

Finally, Will put the cloak on, and waited for the others to react. He could heard Alyss gasp.

"He's invisible!"

"Oh my goodness, the cloak actually works!"

"Of course it works, Horace! What did you think, it wouldn't work?"

"Of course not! I was just saying that I can't believe—"

"Stop fighting, you two!"

Will smiled from inside the cloak. All he knew was that this was the best birthday ever.

And Will stood there, smiling to himself, completely invisible to the human eye.

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**Did you like it? I was thinking of ending the story here, but if I get at least 27 reviews by Monday, I'll write another chapter on how Will uses this new birthday gift of his. :) **


	9. Epilogue

**Heeeey my fellow readers, thanks for the 27 great reviews! :) And of course, I promised to write a ninth chapter, but I've decided for it to be the Epilogue...and of course, don't forget to READ AND REVIEW! Thank you!**

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Epilogue

_A few days later…_

Will and Halt were having one of those weekends where all you did was relax and drink coffee. Since these times were very rare, Will liked to enjoy these days as much as he could. And the apprentice had a vicious plan in mind.

This plan, Will had decided, should be called _Plan Three and a Half. _Since this plan was going to be vicious, it had to have a vicious name. And _Plan Three and a Half _certainly seemed to be vicious enough.

Will casually glanced at Halt. Halt took no notice of the boy, and quietly kept sipping his coffee. Phase one of _Plan Three and a Half _was in action.

Putting on an innocent face, Will knew what he had to do.

"Halt? May I go outside to see Tug?" Will asked innocently.

Halt gave Will a suspicious look. "Yes," the grim Ranger said reluctantly.

Phase one in Will's plan was completed. Phase two in the plan was in action.

Will excused himself from the table and headed toward the front door, which was a few feet away. But instead of opening the door, Will quickly took a sharp left turn and then headed toward his room.

Will backtracked a few feet and glanced back at Halt, who was still calmly sipping his coffee back at the table. Good. Phase two was going perfectly as planned.

Next, Will entered his room, and looked around. He finally spotted a box tucked carefully under his hastily made bed, and make a dash for the box. This was the box that held his birthday gift: a cloak that could make you invisible. Will gingerly opened the cardboard box, and sure enough, inside was the snow white cloak that had never been used.

Will smiled. Phase three in the plan was beginning. He slipped the cloak over his head, and he became temporarily invisible. He reached his hand onto his bed, and felt around. Then his hands touched it: a small rock, not too harmful, but still had effect. He grabbed the rock and then quietly tiptoed back to where Halt was quietly drinking his coffee.

Of course, Halt couldn't see him, so Will could've just walked right up to Halt and bonked his mentor on the head, but that wasn't the plan. Will quickly darted toward the couch, which was about a meter away, and he hid there, waiting for the time to come.

Will peeked over the top of the couch and stole a glance at Halt. He was still calmly sipping his third cup of coffee. Will took a deep breath, and…

Will threw the rock he had been clutching tightly, and it hit Halt lightly on the head.

Halt glanced up.

"Who's there?" he said, rubbing his head. He got up and his eyes darted across the room, but, seeing nothing, sat back down and returned to drinking his coffee.

Phase three was halfway done. Will waited for the best time to do his grand finale.

Three minutes…two minutes…thirty seconds…ten seconds…nine…five…three…two…one…

Will sprang up from his hiding spot and shouted, _"BOO!"_

The "BOO!" echoed throughout the house.

Halt was so startled that he fell of his seat. "Will!" he said, a frown creeping up his face.

Will took the cloak off. "How did you know it was me?"

"If you were me, it would be completely obvious that it was you," Halt said irritably. "Never do that again, do you hear me?" Halt shouted. Seeing the satisfaction on Will's face, Halt began to grow red. "It's not funny, you know!"

Will grinned. _"If you were me,_" Will mocked Halt. "Then it would be the most hilarious moment in all my life!" Will laughed.

Halt sighed. Sometimes apprentices were a pain in the neck. Then, to Will's delight, Halt said—

"You know, you've become a pretty good prankster. In fact, I'd say you were almost as good as Gilan."

THE END

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**Did you like it? I think I did pretty well for my first fanfiction. Well, don't forget to review! I'll add more chapters to Truth or Dare: Ranger Style soon, I promise! :) I hope you enjoyed this story! **


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